Lately you can't open a newspaper without coming across an ad for either Progresso or Campbell's, each attacking the other for using MSG. The relentless print war struck me as odd until my frittata-observing friend figured out why they're spending the megabucks: Canned soup is big business in these tight times. I actually went looking for Progresso's lentil soup myself the other day when I needed a quick lunch on an insane day (if it's good enough for Thomas Keller, it's good enough for me), and both stores I tried were out of it. In the second, I picked up another brand's mushroom soup and got a shock from the sticker price: $3.49 for one little can. Clearly, I'm in the wrong line of work. But it made me think of the biggest impediment to making soup at home, the stock. It takes hours to do right from scratch, and the canned stuff is not just overpriced but almost nauseating. So now I'm considering all other options.

If corn season weren't past, I'd be stocking up on dozens of ears and
saving the cobs to steep for flavor (two cookbooks I've read recently
have recipes for that). My friend Rolando Beramendi makes stock for his
risotto by simmering all the trimmings from the vegetables while
he's slicing and dicing. Shiitake stems can be simmered to make a
sort of mushroom stock, or the soaking liquid from dried mushrooms can be used (after straining out the grit). If all else fails, the new thinking is that plain
water is preferable to a can opener. And the MSG.

Halloween may be over, but don't pack up the decorative skulls yet: Keep them out for the Latin American holiday Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), which will be observed today and tomorrow. During the annual holiday people make offerings, including food, to deceased friends and relatives and mark the holiday by eating candy skulls, skeletons, coffins, as well as pan de muertos with spiced hot chocolate and complicated dishes such as tamales. Will you be feasting for Day of the Dead (or Days of the Dead) this weekend? What are you cooking?

Now that the dollar has rebounded (20-25% stronger against the euro and pound, depending on the day) the only good news coming out of our seismic crash is the fact that some vacations, even international ones, may be vaguely thinkable. What makes them more thinkable is a recession-proof global food group like the sandwich. Sandwiches have been on my mind a lot lately. A piece on my life in sandwiches for nationalgeographicfood.com meant a nostalgic trip through a childhood filled with falafel and brats (a disturbing combination). Nowadays, we tend to eat Halloween candy before the doorbell rings so some cranky kids last year ended up with provolone sandwiches, which I like to think (the kids didn't) was an interestingly urbane alternative.

But for travelers, in particular, sandwiches are often the most authentic local food because they change shape easily, and embody each culture's own culinary traditions. And they're the one all-purpose meal in a hand that will always be relatively cheap. Everyone will have their own list of best homegrown sandwiches and the places that do justice to them (is Johnny's Po-Boys really the place to go in New Orleans? Where do you get the definitive New England lobster roll, because I've never had one that tasted as good as they sound, and the ultimate Chicago hot dog?). My global list of best sandwich kitchens, the ones that really do right by their local signature sandwich, includes the following:

1) In New York, I like the Stage Deli.This dicey choice will probably elicit howls of protest from native New Yorkers because the Stage is filled with tourists and its celebrity sandwiches read like kitsch party jokes (and personal insults; the gluttonous Aretha Franklin sandwich features pastrami and turkey and then, because that apparently wasn't considered enough, roast beef and swiss cheese).

I adapted the recipe from this one, subbing toasted pumpkin seeds for the peanuts to make it more Halloween-y. I also added nutmeg and sprinkled the finished product with sea salt for more flavor. The end result is buttery and crunchy, sweet and saltya very satisfying treat.

Kids around the country say that today is their favorite of the year. It just doesn't get any better than dressing up as some one or thing you're not whilst demanding candy from random people. This morning, I adjusted the werewolf mask on one of my twin sons and fixed the grim reaper chains on the other, and then sent them off to orchestra practice (playing the stand-up bass with sharp werewolf claws will prove to be a challenge). And then I reminded them of a few Halloween rules, as having cranky, exhausted kids coming down from a major sugar high is no fun for anyone. Here are five simple rules, adapted from my new cookbook, Real Food for Healthy Kids, that will help them--and you--in candyland:

1) Eat Healthy: Encourage them to eat a high-fiber lunch like California-Style Tuna Salad Rolls, and then an early dinner loaded with protein and complex carbohydrates. This will ensure that they have energy for trick or treating, and that when they return with their haul, they are not hungry and ready to devour everything in sight.

I don't know about you all, but I am starting to get a bit tired of all the inflated "green" hype. Don't get me wrong. I am all for reducing our carbon footprint, recycling, reusing and reinventing, and think we should ALL be doing more. What irks me are the unsubstantiated claims of being "green" that many companies boast even when all they may have done is start to use recycled packaging. While EVERY little bit helps, it's great to find a company that is truly moving in the right direction, truly going "green." Casabella, known for its stylish cleaning products just might be one of those companies. They have just introduced a new line of cleaning products with so many eco-friendly attributes; it's difficult to highlight them all. Suffice it to say the Eclipse line, made mostly in the USA, of recycled soda bottles and recycled aluminum, consists of one pole with interchangeable cleaning heads...a microfiber and soy-based sponge mop, a post-production recycled broom head, a microfiber floor duster and a long reach microfiber hand duster.

Tomorrow's Halloween, and I am woefully unprepared for it. The last time I dressed up for Halloween, I was a "shadow." Not very creative since I was dressed in all black. Up until today, I was going to buy some bunny ears but thanks to Cityfile's collection of printable Halloween masks (first spotted on Eater), I can be Mario Batali for a few hours, and so can you! (For Mario Batali recipes in our database, click here.)

In Halloweens past, I've seen my share of cute food costumes mainly on kids: a lobster, an egg, a honey jar, a chicken, and even a cow. So I'm wondering if anyone will be dressing up as a famous foodie or as a food item for Halloween this year. Perhaps you've donned a food-related costume in the past? Will anyone join me in donning a Mario Batali mask?

At the risk of having a hit taken out on me by Swiss Marilyn Manson fans, now that absinthe is making a comeback in the U.S., it seems like the ideal liquor for Halloween-themed cocktails. Chances are, you may even see some absinthe-based Halloween cocktails this weekend when you're out and about.

Of course, there'll be plenty of non-absinthe Halloween cocktails, too. Here are a bunch of cocktail recipes that fall into either category. I think it's safe to say I won't be having the Candy Corn cocktail.

Hmmm, the best way to describe these "Passion Poppers" ? Well, first of all they are cute. These grape-tomato-sized, greenish-brown fruits simply scream adorable. They are not furry like kiwis (so no peeling is necessary) but they look and taste like kiwis. Combine all those traits and what you get is an addiction. Trust me I had ten in about twenty seconds.